O is for Owl, C is for Cat
by ExcalibursZone
Summary: A bet is made between two reluctant participants. Problems arise when one depressed teenager allows his curiosity to get he best of him. Will this simple bet destroy a wonderful friendship or spur it towards romance?
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE**

**The Bet**

There are few things in the world that drove her truly mad and Muggle Christmas songs were at the top of the list. The Brenda Lee song, Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree, was one that Aunt Petunia enjoyed immensely and it was currently stuck on infinite loop in her head. Even the breathtaking view afforded from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's owlery wasn't enough to wipe the sickening song from her mind.

The brisk, cheerless wind and the bleak, overcast skies belied the happy undertones and melody of the anguish that was silently playing at the moment and the surrounding owls weren't making enough of a racket to drown it out. Christmas was one of those seasons that just didn't make any sense to her and as she breathed the cold, crisp air in through her nostrils, she mentally admonished everyone who enjoyed listening to such rubbish.

She was perfectly happy where it was quiet, where the only thing that could be heard was the gentle breeze through the trees and perhaps a babbling brook or some cheerful tweets and twittering of an unseen bird that didn't migrate to the south like most sensible feathered creatures did. Even bears had sense enough to hibernate over the winter months, but there were some animals that just didn't seem to care.

She rolled her large, surprised looking eyes at the soft pitter patter of the second most annoying creature on the earth. She turned her gaze towards the bow-legged, bottlebrush tailed fluff of ginger that was trying to be stealthy and let out a sound of irritation.

Crookshanks mewled in his customary fashion when visiting the owlery and seemed to smirk in satisfaction as the less foolhardy owls flew to the higher perches, out of the reach of his sharp claws. Pigwidgeon hopped nervously from perch to perch, hoping that Crookshanks' mistress would soon follow with a letter or package to send to her family.

Even the ginger menace that called Hermione his pet grumbled at the miniature owl but quickly returned to the business at hand.

"Up for yet _another_ verbal sparring match?" he asked Hedwig as she returned her gaze to the snowball fights of the students far below. "Or are you still too _jealous_ to admit that Harry has it bad for Hermione?"

"Oh, _please_," Hedwig hooted in indignation. "It's plain to see that he doesn't feel that way about her." She ruffled her feathers for a bit more insulation and looked dreamily to the sky. "With You Know Who running about trying to kill Harry, he doesn't have the time to think about romance... especially with _her_."

"I don't see you complaining when she has you carry packages to him or her parents," Crookshanks drawled. "What do you have against her anyway? She's a wonderful human, look how she's treated me after everything that we went through with Sirius."

Hedwig glanced at her feline companion with a look of sadness in her large yellow eyes.

"Sorry, he was a good human too, but I'm not going to beat myself up over his ascendance," Crookshanks said with an unconvincing, apologetic look. He yawned and looked up at Pigwidgeon, who was still expecting Hermione to walk through the door at any minute.

"He was Harry's chance at freedom from those evil people," Hedwig hooted angrily. "He may have taken the path earlier than he was supposed to, but it still hurt Harry deeply."

"You do realize that he can't love you that way, right?" Crookshanks drawled and quickly ducked, expecting Hedwig to strike at him. "You're an _owl_ for Ra's sake—"

"Athena's granted her faithful their wishes before!" Hedwig returned hotly. "I still have my hopes that she'll answer my prayers one day."

"And in the time your Goddess makes up her mind, Hermione will have already won his heart, had his litter, and you'll be heartbroken," the cat mewed softly. "Hedwig, give it a rest, humans prefer humans and he's going to wake up one day."

"I'll be happy for him if he can find any happiness," Hedwig cooed as she turned away from the squashed face of her company. "If it's through a human, or someone who'll always be there for him, _always_, then I'll support him. Besides, she doesn't think that way about Harry, the _debate_, as you call it, is pointless."

"What if I gave you proof?" Crookshanks offered tantalizingly, "cold, hard, evidence that she's a smitten kitten?"

Hedwig snorted, which is rather uncommon for any type of bird to do, and glanced over her shoulder imperially. "She's much too young to be thinking that way."

"Humans discover love at a much younger age, you, of all creatures, should know this," Crookshanks meowed with laughter.

"She's interested in Harry's friend Ron, and he is with her," Hedwig hooted in reply as she ruffled her feathers once again.

"What? Is it because they're constantly scratching and hissing at each other?" Crookshanks scoffed. "When was the last time you fell in love with someone who treated _you_ that way? Or was your previous master such a saint that you—"

"You will _NOT_ mention that vermin in my presence! I should have eaten him that day!" Hedwig screeched angrily.

"Ok, calm down!" Crookshanks said as his ears flattened in anticipation of a fight. "That crazy old woman I spent the first eight weeks with wasn't my cup of tea either! Listen, Hermione's writing a letter to Harry right now, why don't I nick one of the others for you to read? I mean, it can't hurt, now can it? And you'll have your proof."

"She writes letters to Viktor Krum," Hedwig sighed as she rolled her eyes. "I know; I've had to deliver them to that wretched creature."

Crookshanks screwed up his face and looked at Hedwig with curiosity but shook his head. "No time for that now," he snorted and returned to the plan at hand. "We only need a diversion that will draw Hermione from the common room and I can bring back her latest letter. That's all the proof you'll need: Hermione's in love with Harry."

Hedwig shook her head once again and glared at the cat sitting beside her. "Fine, bring your so-called proof to the Gryffindor window ledge, I'll read it from there."

"We'll need to get both Hermione and Ron from the common room then," Crookshanks mewled deviously. "There's no telling what mischief he'd cause if he saw those letters."

Pigwidgeon suddenly flew about the owlery in excitement as a girl from Ravenclaw entered the room. Hedwig noted the surprised look on her face and how she adored the irritating little owl.

"Pigwidgeon..." Hedwig hooted softly, a sudden idea coming to mind.

"What about the little freak?" Crookshanks snorted in response.

"We could use him to distract the prefects! Ron and Hermione are both prefects!" Hedwig hooted in sudden excitement. "But not only would it keep those two busy, it would keep Pigwidgeon out of our feathers for a spell as well!"

"That might just work," Crookshanks purred as his own mind began cranking through the possibilities. He looked up in surprise as the blonde girl from Ravenclaw gently kissed Pigwidgeon on the head. "Did she just do what I think she did?"

"She's here quite often, actually," Hedwig hooted dismissively. "She doesn't say much and generally dotes all over little Pigwidgeon as if he were her only child."

"That's disgusting," Crookshanks mewled as the blonde waved happily to the miniature owl and disappeared from the tower.

"SHELIKESMESHELIKESMESHELIKESME!" Pig hooted excitedly over and over as he spun around everyone's disgruntled heads. "SHELIKESMESHELIKESMESHELIKESME!"

"Pigwidg—"

"SHELIKESMESHELIKESMESHELIKESME!"

"PIGWID—"

"SHELIKESMESHELIKESMESH—"

"OI! PIG!" Crookshanks meowed as loudly as he could when Hedwig's polite attempts at attracting his attention failed.

"CROOKSHANKS! HEDWIG! SHELIKESMESHEREALLYDOES!" Pigwidgeon hooted excitedly and flitted around their heads instead of the entire population of the owlery.

"PIG!" Hedwig hooted suddenly, startling both Crookshanks and the overexcited little owl. "Pigwidgeon, we have a job for you," Hedwig cooed in a motherly fashion.

"_You_ have a job for _me_?" Pigwidgeon hooted in unbridled anticipation. "I've never had an _owl_ give me a job before!"

"Hooray for you," Crookshanks drawled flatly. "We need a distraction big enough to call out all the prefects. We're planning..."

"A... a... surprise party for Ron!" Hedwig hooted quickly.

"For Ron? A surprise party?" Pigwidgeon screeched in awe. "I'll do anything you want! I just want to see the look on his face! He'll be so happy!"

"Yeah, happy..." Crookshanks snorted in mirth as he glanced at Hedwig, who was still very straight faced. "Anything you can do will be great. Hedwig is going to wait on the common room window sill while I get things ready. But we need Hermione and Ron out of the room."

"What about Harry?" Hedwig hooted in concern.

"Have you seen him lately?" Crookshanks meowed. "He won't notice anything since he's still staring into the fire like he was the first day of classes..."

"Something big..." Pigwidgeon twittered absently then looked up so fast he had to hop to keep from falling over. "I've got it! Leave it to me!" he hooted and took off like a bullet.

"It looks like we have to take action now," Hedwig sighed as she watched the ever-excited little owl flit about the owlery like a hummingbird caught in a sugar rush.

"See you in a little while," Crookshanks drawled as he shot from the room.

Nobody in the castle seemed to notice the frantic run of Hermione's cat as he shot down corridor after corridor and up stairways and secret passages that had slipped even the Marauders during their reign of mischief. Cats, after all, had their own secrets and nobody suspected that Mrs. Norris nearly tripped over herself when Crookshanks asked for her help learning the castle grounds a few years ago. After he'd helped his mistress and Harry out of a tight spot with Filch, Mrs. Norris had given him the cold shoulder.

That didn't matter at the moment since there was no telling what Pig was doing and Crookshanks didn't underestimate the little pest. By time he reached Gryffindor tower through a hidden tunnel that was barely big enough for him, a great commotion was going on outside. Curiosity getting the best of him, Crookshanks played the part he was doled at birth and chanced a quick look out the window. His jaw dropped when he beheld the spectacle that Pigwidgeon had devised.

Nearly every owl from Hogwarts and Hogsmeade was flying over the grounds in erratic patterns. Every so often, one would swoop towards an unsuspecting student and let loose a large snowball before flitting back to the top of the school. With so many owls in the air at once, this dive-bombing happened quite often.

"How in Thoth's name...?" Crookshanks asked himself before stepping back and continuing down the stairs that led to the common room. "I'm not going to ask."

He stopped and scouted the area carefully, smiling inwardly that the only three people present where Hermione, Ron, and Harry. His mistress was currently bickering with a red-faced Ron and Harry was sitting by the window staring into the roaring fire in the great fireplace.

"Ron, how many times do I have to tell you that to whom I write is none of your business?!" Hermione barked in anger. She rolled a rather lengthy piece of parchment into a tight cylinder and slipped it into her bag where a dozen others were waiting.

"Come off it, Hermione," Ron spat back. "How many times are you going to write Vicky?! If you're not dating him, you sure write him an awful lot!"

"Don't call him Vicky!" Hermione shrieked in irritation.

Just then, the portrait opened and Professor McGonagall stepped through the door, brushing snow from her hair and cloak as she did so. "Mr. Weasley, Miss Granger, if you'd come with me, please," she said exasperatedly. "It seems the school's and Hogsmeade's owls have gone mad! And your miniature owl seems to be the cause of it all!"

"Pig?" Ron asked in confusion.

"What's happening, Professor?" Hermione asked in concern as she wrapped her cloak around her and grabbed her wand.

"I'll explain it to you on the way, Mr. Potter, please stay inside where it's safe," the thin-lipped professor said as she glared at a snow-white owl that was sitting calmly on the window sill outside the common room. "And bring your owl inside! That'll be one less pest we have to worry about!"

Harry looked up at the professor lethargically, but complied and opened the window for Hedwig. The owl looked at him concernedly and nipped gently at his fingers as he absently ran his hand over her soft feathers.

"Give it a break," Crookshanks mewled after the two prefects and Professor McGonagall disappeared through the portrait hole. "He doesn't even know that's a kiss!"

Hedwig hooted indignantly at Crookshanks as he scurried towards Hermione's bag and pulled it over. He began sniffing at the rolls of parchment and growled in irritation, unable to discern which one was her latest letter. Crookshanks grabbed one of the cylinders and yanked it out of the bag. The ribbon that held it in such a firm shape slipped off during the struggle and the parchment unrolled as he pulled it over towards Hedwig.

"What are you doing, Crookshanks?" Harry asked curiously and scooped the surprised cat into his arms. "This is Hermione's. What would she say if she found out that you were running off with it?" He admonished the fidgeting cat and pulled the letter from Crookshanks' mouth.

Hedwig hooted in alarm and glared accusingly at the put off cat. Crookshanks looked up at the snow-white owl and shook his head, still stunned that Harry had even noticed.

"This is addressed to me," Harry said in surprise. "Why didn't she owl it to me?" He sat down hard on the couch and began reading the letter aloud.

_Dear Harry,_

_I know we've only known each other for only a few months, but I still want to thank you for saving me from that Troll. A MOUNTAIN TROLL! Who would have thought such things actually existed! I never thought I'd see one in person, but there I was, walking from the cubicle and smack into its stomach! I don't know if I would have ever survived if you'd never shown up. Though, I have to admit that I'd never heard of someone jamming their wand up the nose of a Troll._

_I have a feeling that I'll be writing you often seeing as we've both only known a Mugg... a non-magical existence. Muggles, honestly! I can't believe that people refer to my parents and family as Muggles. Why not magically deficient or non-magical people? I mean, what a derogatory word Muggle is!_

Harry stopped reading, chuckling slightly as Hermione had gone into another 'save the downtrodden speech' that she'd become famous for with S.P.E.W. and he quickly re-rolled then tied the parchment.

Crookshanks looked up at the beaming Hedwig and let out a disgruntled yowl before noticing that Harry was untying another letter.

_Dear Harry,_

He read aloud once again.

_Professor Snape is rather crafty to use logic for that puzzle, don't you think? I know you two don't get along well at all, but perhaps next year things will be different! You never know, right?_

_I'm very happy that Quirrell didn't kill you in the end and that you're all right. I would hate to think that just after I'd finally found friends I'd lose them both! Ron had me so scared when the queen took his piece and then you had to go on by yourself! Promise me you won't do that again, I'd hate to lose one of the best friends I'd ever had the honor of meeting._

Harry put down the letter when Hermione started talking about her grades and classes and retrieved another from the bag.

_Dear Harry,_

_I would have written sooner but I was petrified if you recall. I don't know how to describe the feeling to you but I'll try. Have you ever fallen asleep and not had a dream? Even though you're sleeping, you can still hear things and incorporate them into your perceptions. Being petrified was nothing like sleeping as some might think. It was like being encased in a slab of concrete but even then there's so much to hear! Your heartbeats, the blood rushing through your ears, hearing the air fill your lungs... I didn't experience any of that. It was all still, as if I were dead, but even then there's motion!_

_I can only guess how you and Ron reacted at seeing me. I must have looked dreadful! It must have felt like I was wax, assuming you touched my hand long enough to pry out that book page._

_I wish I could say that I'd never experienced that, but knowing the basilisk is dead is enough for me. Thank you for doing that, Harry, though I'd have been upset if you died while fighting it. It's good that Fawkes was there to heal your poisoned wounds! You saved so many that day, Harry, I'm very proud of you._

Crookshanks looked over at Hedwig as Harry went for another letter. The insane hooting heard through the still open common room window was enough to calm the three lone occupants of the room and Harry began reading another letter.

_Dear Harry,_

_Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about the visions you're having when you're under the influence of the dementors! I can't even begin to imagine what you went through as a baby!_

_Now that I've said that, I want you to know how angry I am with you for taking Ron's side over and over again! Crookshanks DID NOT eat that filthy rat! And I'm sorry you may never get your Firebolt back but if it is from Sirius Black, there's no telling how dangerous it could be! I may be angry with you, Harry, but I don't want to see you get hurt! Last year with that rogue bludger was enough and when you fell off your broom during that Hufflepuff match, I was afraid that was it for you!_

_Harry, I just don't want to see you get hurt, ok? Can you please stop treating me like I'm some prison guard keeping you from having fun?! BLAST! I'm late for class! I'll write you again in a few minutes!_

_I really wish you'd have taken Arithmancy instead of Divination..._

Harry yawned and absently stroked Crookshanks' soft fur before rolling up the last letter and grabbing another. "I can't believe she's never sent me these," he said quietly as he opened another roll. "Do you know why, Crookshanks?"

The ginger cat simply purred contentedly in reply, but smirked at the worried look Hedwig was shooting them. The noise outside had dropped considerably, yet Harry started reading anyway.

_Dear Harry,_

_I can't believe all the fuss people are making about us! I mean, we're just friends! Can you believe that the only one who hasn't been asking about you at all has been Viktor? Honestly, he's one of the sweetest people I've met outside of the Weasleys and you, Harry. I just wish people would stop jumping to conclusions about us, you know? So we spend a lot of time together and I've helped you with your homework and spells this term! Did they think you'd be able to face that Horntail without as much practice as you had? Really!_

_Oh, and about the Yule Ball! I understand that you wanted to ask Cho, but why did Ron wait until the last minute? Doesn't he realize that I'm not some safety net that's there to catch him whenever he's in a tight spot?! Well, I'd be there if it were life and death, but a date?! Had he asked me first, I would have gone in a heartbeat, though, I would have gone with you if you'd have asked as well. I knew Cho and Cedric were going to the ball together, he asked her the day it was announced. I'm sure you would have asked me if you'd known that, and I'm sorry you didn't have as much fun as you could have._

The sounds had all but died away outside and Harry looked around quickly before grabbing one more scroll. Again, it was addressed to him and Crookshanks mewled in triumph when he recognized the writing as today's letter. Hedwig looked over Harry's shoulder eagerly and read along with her favorite human.

_Dear Harry,_

_I'm so, so sorry that you're still grieving over Sirius, I really am, but you're pushing me, Ron and me, away from you. Please don't do that, Harry, I want to help you! It kills me to see you so depressed and distant!_

_I was only trying to comfort you the other night and you didn't have to bite my head off when I asked if you wanted to talk. I had hoped that the anger you felt last year was all because of Voldemort, but I guess I'm wrong, huh?_

_I know you're tired of hearing me say this, but I don't like seeing you so depressed! Let me help you, let me in, Harry, let me heal your heart! You have to know that I (the text was scribbled out) care for you very much; you're my best friend and I can't..._

_I can't stand being away from you, Harry, I need you in my life and I'm only trying to be there for you, to... to show you that you're still loved..._

"WHAT ARE YOU _DOING_!?" Hermione's shrieking voice caused all three occupants to jump simultaneously.

"These, they're addressed to me..." Harry stammered.

"That doesn't give you the right to rifle through my things and read what you find there, _Harry_!" Hermione said coolly and swiped the letter from his hands.

"I'm sorry, Crookshanks—"

"Oh, come off it, Harry! Even _Ron_ is smart enough to not blame my _cat_!" She said in disbelief. "You had no right going through my things!"

"Hermione, I'm sorry... I didn't think—"

"That's _right_, Harry," Hermione deadpanned. "You don't think before you do anything! You push us away from you without thinking about how we feel about it, you don't think before running off—"

"Don't say it," Harry growled angrily. "I thought he was in danger!"

"I _know_ that!" Hermione shrieked. "I'm not blaming you for what happened! It was Voldemort's fault!"

"But he did it through _me_!" Harry said icily. "That's not going to happen again!"

Hermione looked at him incredulously then shook her head. "I get it," she said softly. "You're so afraid that Voldemort is going to come and kill me because I know the _great Harry Potter_! Well, i-if that's the way you want it, don't worry, _Harry_! You won't see me around you again!" With that, she turned and stalked up the stairs to the girls' dormitory, leaving four very bewildered individuals gawking after her.

**A/N:** This is the first of two chapters for this story.This was in response to the challenges: Learning to Cope by LadyTuesday and Christmas Time is Here by OvrtheMoon.

Just wanted to apologize for my lethargy in writing, RL has really been holding me hostage the last few years. I've finished my Bachelor's and am just finishing up my Master's... And am now working towards my PhD. The stories are still alive in my head, though book 6 sort of derailed my urges to write for this fandom for a while, but I hope to get back to writing again. Reviews help, let me tell you, the more I get, the more pumped up I get to write so think of reviews as an incentive for me to continue writing this stuff :) I'll post the other chapter to this story in about a week, hopefully.

This was written as a Christmas present a few years ago. I'm surprised I never got it uploaded here.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

**Under Foot**

"What just happened, Harry?" Ron asked in confusion.

"I-I don't know," Harry said, obviously still in shock.

"Well? What did she say to Krum?" Ron asked eagerly.

"Those letters weren't to Krum," Harry said quietly and retreated to the boys' dormitory.

"WHAT?!" Ron shouted. "Who were they to?" He asked hurriedly and followed Harry up the stairs.

"That didn't happen quite how I'd expected," Crookshanks grumbled more to himself than to anyone in particular.

"Look how devastated he was!" Hedwig hooted in disbelief. "We have to fix this! We have to fix this now!"

"How? Are we going to write letters and have them meet?" Crookshanks drawled in irritation.

"DIDYOUSEETHELOOKONHISFACEITWASCLASSIC!" Pigwidgeon hooted excitedly as he rocketed into the room and flitted around in dizzying circles. "WHEN'STHEPARTY?WHEN'STHEPARTY?!"

Hedwig glared witheringly at the pigeon sized owl and then turned her gaze on Crookshanks. "He needs me," she hooted quietly and without another word flew out the window.

Crookshanks watched her go and then padded up to Hermione's room. He stopped in his tracks when he heard her crying through the door.

_She's really shaken up,_ he thought as he pushed open the door then trotted over to her bed. With a plaintive mew, he hopped onto the mattress and looked at Hermione as she lay on her bed and cried into her pillow.

Crookshanks gently bumped his head against her cheek and with watery eyes, she looked up to his squashed face.

"Oh, Crookshanks, what have I done?" she asked miserably. "Just when I realized how much I need him, I push him farther away than he was pushing me!" Fresh tears came to her eyes and she cradled her cat to her. "What am I going to do?" she whimpered quietly into his soft fur.

"Mate, what's wrong? Why did she go off on you like that?" Ron asked his best friend through the closed drapes of Harry's four-poster. "Harry, talk to me."

"It doesn't matter, Ron," Harry said miserably as he slowly stroked Hedwig's feathers. "Hermione will be safe now, follow her lead."

"What? Have you gone stark, raving, barking mad?!" Ron asked in confusion. "How is she safe?!" he bellowed as he ripped open the curtains.

"Voldemort will go after you and Hermione first, to get to me, just like he did Sirius," Harry said with a strained voice. "Leave me alone, Ron, you don't need to put yourself in danger!"

"Is THAT what this is about?!" Ron asked hotly. "You're bloody stupid if you really believe that, Harry!"

"Look what happened to Sirius! Hermione! Tonks! Kingsley! YOU!" Harry snapped in reply. "Because I was a fool and ran off to the Department of Mysteries, you could have all been KILLED AND SIRIUS WAS!"

Hedwig looked worriedly at Harry and then to Ron when the redhead began clenching and unclenching his fists.

"Harry, it was a mistake and Sirius didn't die because of you!" Ron said very calmly and evenly. "Mum wanted me to tiptoe around this subject with you but I'm not going to let you push me away because of it. It wasn't your fault, you know it! Now look what you've gone and done... Hermione may irritate the bloody hell out of me, but you've gone and purposefully hurt her!"

"I did it for her own good," Harry said under his breath.

"'For her own good,' he says," Ron growled. "You've hurt her more than any number of names that Malfoy SPEWs at her each day, Harry! You listen, and you listen good: pushing us away isn't right! We're your friends, Harry, we've been through too much together to do this to each other and you're not going to push us away!"

"YOU'D BE SAFER!" Harry bellowed but didn't sound like he was convinced himself.

"Right, just keep telling yourself that over and over and maybe you'll believe it, Harry," Ron said coolly. "I'm going to try and get Hermione down from her room and you're going to apologize to her."

Harry didn't say a word as Ron stalked angrily from their room and slammed the door behind him.

_He needs her_, Hedwig sighed to herself as she looked into his moist eyes. _I can see it, he needs her... He doesn't need me..._ Hedwig hopped to the windowsill and looked back one more time. Harry was holding a picture of the three of them from last Christmas, tears streaking silently down his cheeks at the memory.

_I'll help fix this, I promise_, she vowed to her master and took to the air. It was a short trip to Hermione's window and she looked in to see Ginny Weasley sitting on the bed next to her friend.

"He's just afraid, Hermione, you have to understand that," Ginny said quietly as she rubbed Hermione's back.

"I know, Ginny, but I'm tired of it all, I'm tired of him pushing me away when all I want to do is be there for him," Hermione said quietly.

"Tell him that."

"I have, and he's just stared at me. For the past eight months, he's just stared at me or given one word replies to any questions I ask," Hermione said sadly. "Our friendship must not mean that much to him—"

"Of course it does!" Ginny reprimanded immediately. "He's confused and doesn't know what to do!"

"He's not going to let me in, Ginny," Hermione lamented. "What point is there in talking to a wall all day?"

"I saw how he was with you last year," Ginny said quietly. "He's just confused and worried that You Know Who will come after you..."

"Voldemort will come after me whether I'm near him or not!" Hermione said in frustration. "I'm a bloody _Muggle born_! Of course he's going to come after me! No, no, you know what? I'm tired of having this conversation! I'm tired of trying to convince myself that Harry will come back... I'm tired of it all, Ginny..."

Crookshanks looked out the window to see Hedwig watching from the window sill and give him a plaintive look. He meowed, hopped from the bed to Hermione's desk, and began to scratch at the window.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked in frustration as she followed her cat's progress. She stopped when her eyes met with those of Hedwig's but before she could rise from the bed, the snowy owl flew off.

"Do you think that was a sign?" Ginny asked quietly. "That Harry doesn't want you to leave him alone?"

"Of course I'm not going to leave him alone!" Hermione said in exasperation. "I could never leave him alone..."

Crookshanks returned to his perch in her lap, purring contentedly at the turn of events and at her soft touch.

"Why don't you go talk to him then?" Ginny asked quietly and placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "This can't be easy for either of you and you're both too close to end your friendship."

"I'm not going to end our friendship," Hermione sighed miserably. "I'm just tired of fighting to help him... I'm ready to just let him wallow."

"You don't mean that."

"No, I guess I don't," Hermione shrugged and set Crookshanks on the bed before leaving the room.

_Nice move, Hedwig,_ Crookshanks crowed silently as he padded after Hermione. She didn't make it very far before Ron cornered her in the common room.

"What in the bloody hell is going on, Hermione?" he asked exasperatedly. "Whatever it is, you two have to fix it."

"What is there to fix when one of us doesn't know how to fix it?" Hermione countered. "Honestly, Ron, if Harry would just talk to me, this wouldn't have happened."

Ron's face went bright red and it looked as if he were about to blow up, but he calmed himself and contented himself with glaring as he spoke. "Whatever he's going through is no business of ours, Hermione," he said as calmly as he could. "He's lost his godfather and he's afraid he's going to lose us as well."

"I know that, Ron," Hermione said with a sigh. "I'm fully aware that he's pushing us away because he doesn't want Voldemort to use us to get to him."

"We can't let him do that!" Ron barked in frustration. "It's always been the three of us!" He looked at her in desperation. "Hermione, come with me and talk to Harry, we can't leave until he stops what he's doing!"

"I don't have any desire to talk at him right now, Ron," Hermione said. She rubbed her temples the shook her head. "I need to go for a walk, I'll be down by the lake if he pulls his head out of his arse."

Crookshanks watched as Hermione stormed out of the room, leaving a gaping mouthed Ron standing in her wake. He followed after Hermione, walking on her heels as she crunched through the snow to their favorite tree.

He was miserable, being out in the snow without the benefit of boots or a warm woolen cloak and after a half hour decided it would be best to wait in front of the common room fire place. Crookshanks turned and stopped dead in his tracks.

Harry was standing along the path that led back to the castle and from the looks of it, he'd been there a good ten to fifteen minutes.

"How long are you going to stand there and stare at me, Harry?" Hermione asked coolly from her spot against the tree.

"Sorry," Harry said quietly and looked to the snow. "I just wanted to apologize for reading your letters."

"Don't worry about it," she said casually, not taking her eyes from the frozen lake. "I shouldn't have left them out for _Crookshanks_ to read."

"He got into your bag and pulled out a roll of parchment," Harry said quickly. "I didn't say he was reading them, he just started tugging at one of the rolls and it came undone... I saw that it was addressed to me and curiosity got the best of me..." He rubbed the back of his neck and nervously looked up. Her expression was unreadable though her moist eyes told everything. Harry cleared his throat and kicked at a loose piece of snow. "I'm sorry for pushing you and Ron away," he said quietly. "I didn't want to see you die like Sirius did."

"Harry, I'm a target whether or not I'm friends with you," Hermione said in exasperation and massaged her temples once again. "I'm Muggle Born!"

"I know..."

"Pushing me away is going to accomplish nothing!"

"I know..."

"Do you know how much it's hurt to see you do that to me? To Ron?" Hermione asked, finally looking at him.

Harry looked up and winced at the tears that were trailing down her cheeks. "It's hurt me as well," he said quietly before returning his attention to the ground. "It's just so confusing..."

Crookshanks watched the exchange as if he were at a Wimbledon match and a glint of satisfaction shined in his eyes at the look on Hermione's face. It was the same look she'd get when she read his letters or when she thought he needed her. It was the look of a young woman in love.

"Harry," she said softly and took a step towards him. "I wrote those letters to help me cope with what I was seeing in the wizarding world," she explained in resignation. "Since we were both raised in the non-magical world, I used you as a way to understand everything..."

"As long as the me in your head had the answers you needed," Harry said with a slight smirk. "I'm sorry I read them without your permission."

"It's ok as long as you promise that you won't do it again," Hermione said with a slight smile of her own.

"And?" he prompted.

Hermione huffed but the twinkles in her eyes said she wasn't really irritated. "And..." she repeated, "as long as you stop pushing us away from you."

"I will," Harry said quietly as he shrugged his shoulders. "Stop pushing you away, that is..."

The promise brought a full smile to Hermione's face and she stepped forward to give him a hug, but Crookshanks, seeing the perfect timing he was currently afforded, darted in front of her.

With a tiny yelp of surprise, Hermione tripped and fell. Harry had his arms around her faster than even he realized and within the span of a heartbeat, the two of them were in a tangled mess in a snow bank.

"Harry, I'm sorry," Hermione whimpered as she struggled to free herself, but Harry's arms hadn't left their place from around her waist.

"I care about you too, Hermione," Harry said quietly, their faces merely inches apart, "very much. It's going to take some time, but I'll talk to you about everything that's bothering me... I just need some time."

"Thank you," she whispered, her eyes never leaving his. "I'm sorry I blew up..."

"Y-you had every right," Harry said softly.

Crookshanks watched in agony as the two friends, who were obviously more than just friends, continued to whisper apology after apology to each other. His frayed patience at it's breaking point, he decided it was time to push this along with a little force.

Neither Harry nor Hermione saw Crookshanks hunker down nor did they see him leap into the air. Hermione's squeak of surprise as Crookshanks landed on the back of her head, followed by the surprised look on Harry's face when their lips met drove all thoughts of the ginger cat from the two teenagers' minds.

Hermione pulled away quickly, her cheeks pink from more than just the frigid, winter air. "I'm sorry, Harry! Crookshanks has never acted like this before!"

Harry had another stunned look on his face, quite different, however, than the one he sported earlier that day. "It's fine," he said strangely but held Hermione in place.

"Harry, are you ok?" she asked worriedly. "You didn't get hurt when we fell, did you?"

"Hermione," Harry said with a smile. "If I can fall from a hundred feet in the air and survive, falling a few feet with you on top of me isn't going to hurt me all that much."

"You git!" she replied with a playful slap on his shoulder. "Let me up!"

"Do... do you really want me to?" he asked nervously. "Let you up, that is?"

Hermione looked into his eyes and the smile that was on her face disappeared. "No," she said quietly.

"Did you notice what was in the tree?" he asked as his eyes lost focus.

"No," Hermione whispered as Harry's hand settled upon her cheek.

"Mistletoe," he whispered in reply.

"Oh," she breathed and this time, the full weight of a pouncing cat wasn't needed to bring them together in their first kiss.

Though it's been said that only the Cheshire Cat was the only feline to ever truly smile, though in a quite maniacal fashion, there was another cat who understood the meaning behind that mischievous, ear-to-ear grin that famous fictional beast wore. Crookshanks, quite literally, grinned as if he'd just eaten a canary.

_Whoever put the mistletoe in the great old oak Harry and Hermione were under must be commended_, he thought as he turned and padded up the path to the castle.

There they were: Harry and Hermione, kissing each other as if there were no tomorrow. Hedwig dropped the remaining bits of mistletoe she was carrying into the crook of the tree and let out a quiet sigh.

_He was right, damn him to hell_, she thought sadly and glared at the ginger bit of fluff that was waddling through the snow on his way back to Hogwarts. _Knocking their heads together like that!_ she harrumphed with a quiet hoot.

The young couple under the tree didn't notice Hedwig fly back to the owlery and the white owl knew things would never be the same again.

"I'm sorry, Harry," Hermione said quietly at Hogsmeade station. "My parents won't take no for an answer, I can't stay at the school this holiday..."

Crookshanks fidgeted in her arms and stared witheringly at Harry. The dense fool had ignored all his pleas to remain, to be free of Hermione's vice like grip, but he was unable to wriggle out of another family trip.

"I just don't want to spend Christmas without you, Hermione," Harry said quietly and set his hand on her arm. "You'll be gone for two weeks..."

"I know, I don't want to miss Christmas either, Harry," she said sadly, "but I can't keep ignoring my family. The time will fly by," she said, quite unconvincingly.

"I guess," he said quietly. The last call for boarding the Hogwarts Express sounded and Harry looked up miserably. "Looks like it's time for you to go," he said with a forlorn smile.

"I'll be back before you know it," she said with a soft smile. "Happy Christmas, Harry."

"Happy Christmas," he said, followed by a soft kiss.

Hermione had to run to make the train and she stood at the door, waving to him when Crookshanks finally wriggled free of her grasp and plopped into the snow.

"CROOKSHANKS!" Hermione yelled, her reach too short and the train's speed too great for her to do much more.

"I'LL WATCH HIM!" Harry shouted at the top of his lungs as he waved to the retreating train which quickly disappeared around the bend.

"Come on, troublemaker," Harry said with a slight chuckle. "Thought you'd get her to stay by making her chase you, eh?"

_I knew that wouldn't work_, Crookshanks admonished Harry silently as he was unceremoniously plucked from the snow bank.

"What do you say we go back to the common room and sit in front of the fireplace?" Harry asked and laughed when Crookshanks bumped his head into his chin.

_NOW we're talking!_ the runaway cat mewled as they made their trek back to the castle.

Crookshanks watched Hedwig over the next few days as she flew back and forth between Harry and Hermione. Though she wouldn't accept it was possible, he really felt sorry for her.

"Why do you do it?" he purred one night after she'd returned with Hermione's reply. "I know you're in love with him..."

"If wanting to see him happy means I'm in love with him, then I am," she hooted curtly. "Now, I'm tired from that last trip, would you please let me rest?"

Crookshanks rolled his eyes and padded out of the owlery. Pigwidgeon was thankfully absent, collecting gifts from the Weasley family. Living the life of an owl was not his cup of tea and he was happy he was a cat.

"How many times must I tell you to stop roaming the halls after dark?" a familiar feline meow came from behind him.

"Mrs. Norris!" Crookshanks mewled in mock surprise. "How nice it is to see you!"

"Save it," she hissed in reply. "You should get back to Gryffindor Tower before master finds you. Curfew has been extended to _pets_ as well."

"So you're thinking of my safety? How wonderfully kind of you!" he meowed sarcastically. "Since when are pets confined to human rules?"

"Since word has it animagi are going to try and sneak into the school," she purred. "I may not like you, but I don't want to see what spells they use on one of my kind..."

"Point taken," Crookshanks said as his ears flattened. "Happy Christmas."

"Christmas is a human holiday," Mrs. Norris meowed and disappeared behind a tapestry.

Though she was cold, Crookshanks didn't dislike Mrs. Norris at all. Sure, she was abrasive and haughty, even for a quarter kneazle, but she'd been pleasurable company a few years ago.

_I guess everyone shows their loyalty in one way or another_, he grumbled silently as he curled up next to Harry on a sofa in the common room. He looked up at the dark-haired boy and let out a yawn.

"Happy Christmas," Harry said quietly and began petting Crookshanks. "Happy, bloody, Christmas." He looked at the clock and with a yawn of his own, left for the boys' dormitory. "There should be warming pans in the bed if you want a more comfortable place to sleep," he said over his shoulder.

Warming pan were the words that caused his ears to perk up and, without needing another invitation, Crookshanks padded up the stairs ahead of Harry. Sure enough, the spot at the bottom of the bed was very warm and much more comfortable than the sofa so he curled up and fell asleep just after Harry had slipped under the blankets.

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS!"

Crookshanks jumped nearly three feet at the excited shout of one Hermione Jane Granger. Harry also jumped and scrambled madly for his wand and glasses.

"Hermione?" we whispered in disbelief.

"Do you think Ron would be caught in this dress?" she asked with a laugh and hugged Harry with all her might.

The smile on Harry's face was instant and his lips were on hers in approximately the same amount of time. "I thought you weren't coming back until next week!" he said as a tremendous grin broke across his face.

"I convinced my parents to take a shorter trip," Hermione said with a laugh. "I took the Knight Bus back to school this morning! Filch was in a right state when I showed up!"

"I'll bet!" Harry said with a smirk. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too," she said breathlessly. "Are you going to open your presents now or later?"

"Later," he said with a mischievous grin, "I have everything I wished for right here."

Hermione's smile faded when Harry cupped her cheek and Crookshanks rolled his eyes as they began kissing.

_Again_, the cat grumbled to himself as he exited the room. He looked back to see hands in hair and arms around one another as they fell back onto the bed. _If they're not careful, they'll get the nickname: 'Rabbits,'_ he thought with a snicker to himself.

**A/N:** That's it, end of story. I hope it was fluffy enough for you all and thanks for the reviews:) I do apologize, I said there would be three chapters, but after the tribute to Amynoelle and Heaven, I found that this story was finished. Speaking of Amynoelle, I have to thank her for doing the beta work on this story! She's been totally supportive and wonderful throughout the whole week or so I took to write it :) And to the challenge issuers for the insane plot bunnies that tried to gnaw their heads off. Yes, the 'Learning to Cope' challenge is similar to others, I just threw in the pet perspective to mix it up... There's only so much you can do to make things different when writing about what Hermione's experienced and Demosthenes' story is quite similar as well (Demosthenes wrote it first, btw...). Now, it's off to work on other projects, one of which is Final Fantasy X-2... I need some game time in ;) But, I haven't forgotten the other stories or those who read them. Thanks again for your wonderful support and reviews, please do try and leave one for every chapter you read, the author really appreciates feedback :)


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